About two dozen people rallied in front of the Sangamon County Complex on Thursday in support of immigration reform.

The rally was organized by a statewide organization, Illinois People’s Action. Participants carried signs reading “Keep Families Together” and “Take Executive Action,” and they also had a 10-foot-tall cutout of President Barack Obama, whom they’re calling on to provide relief from deportation.

“We’re here to put more pressure on the Obama administration to take executive action like he promised,” said Sonny Garcia of Bloomington. “There are rumblings that he is going to wait until after the election. We want him to hold true to his promise and do it this summer.”

Thursday’s event in Springfield was part of the National Day to Fight for Families, which included rallies across the country.

Garcia said they chose the Sangamon County Complex because it’s where the county jail is located.

“The Sangamon County Jail is a holding facility for undocumented immigrants from around the state until they can be shipped to a detention center,” Garcia said, adding that the current policy of deportation breaks up families.

Rubi Sanchez, 19, also of Bloomington, was one of the people who spoke at Thursday’s rally. She said her father was deported, and she is constantly worried that her mother will suffer the same fate.

“Every morning I leave the house to go to school thinking that is probably the last time I will see my mom,” Sanchez said. “It’s a constant fear I live in.”

Sanchez said her family came to the United States in 2005. She has qualified for a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which grants temporary relief to children who were brought to the United States by parents who entered the country without legal permission.

A student at Heartland Community College in Normal, Sanchez hopes to get a job in the computer science field.

“I want to have a good job. I want to graduate from college and help out my mom. If it’s possible, I’d like to become a resident,” Sanchez said.

Illinois People’s Action is a faith-based community organization that has members across the state. Its website says it works on a variety on issues such as immigration, high-interest payday and car title lending, and holding big banks and corporations accountable.